This stylish two-minute promotional clip pitches Chevrolet’s new gentlemen’s pickup for 1959, the El Camino. America’s decades-long love affair with the sporty car/truck hybrid starts here.
In 1959, GM’s Chevrolet division introduced its sleek car-based pickup, the El Camino. Suburbia was exploding and the civilian market for light trucks, formerly commercial vehicles for the most part, was beginning to take off. The automaker was eager to exploit it: A few years earlier, the company had introduced a dolled-up, truck-based gentleman’s pickup, the 1955 Cameo. (There was also a GMC version, the Suburban Carrier). And now, with the 1959 El Camino, Chevy was exploring the car-based end of the consumer pickup market. No doubt Chevrolet was at least partly motivated by rival Ford’s launch of the Ranchero car/pickup mashup in 1957.
Built on the standard Chevrolet passenger-car platform and its 119-inch wheelbase, the El Camino used mid-level Chevy trim and appointments, including Bel-Air exterior chrome and sturdy woven-nylon interior fabrics. And as proudly noted in this clip, the full complement of Chevy powertrain options were available, including the hairy 348 CID V8 with three two-barrel carburetors. Thanks in part to its popularity with the high-performance set, sales for the sporty car/truck were fairly brisk the first year at around 22,000 units. America’s decades-long love affair with the El Camino was off and running. Enjoy the video.
Trying to load around those fins would be hard work,, plus what is a service part for utes the tailgate would be very expensive.
And in the case of these Chev passenger based cars the rear coils would sag with a grandfather clock!!
The rear coils ( as well as the front) are H-D station wagon springs so no problem with the load. I have a friend who has a restored 59 and the only thing he wished was the Chevy had the Wide track suspension from the 59 Pontiac. Chevrolet, Olds, Buick, Cadillac for 59-60’s narrow track look funny on a nearly 80″ wide body. Only Pontiac observed this and moved the track out to 63@ 7/8″ for the front and 64″ rear track for 59 and 64″ front and rear for 1960. Five inches make a real handling and styling difference. Pontiac product planning made two El Camino type 59 Pontiac’s, but were rejected because the market wasn’t there. The car was called El Catalina. click below;
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e3/41/aa/e341aac486daec55f4b236058a390cc2.jpg
see below the narrow track of a 59 El Camino;
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6a/50/44/6a5044fba203ab3846e75bdad941f92d.jpg
compared to the Pontiac below;
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0b/14/ff/0b14ff352d32b02b94728f45b5a22ae3.jpg
FYI, all Pontiac’s had a 389″ V-8 engine as standard equipment, as opposed to Chevrolet in which all Chevrolet cars would have a straight six standard.
My dad had a ’59 Ranchero then my uncle, not to be outdone, went right out and bought a ’59 El Camino. Quite impressive, both of them.